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Dragon Ball Super was definitely one of the last decade’s most popular anime, continuing the franchise’s long history of domination in the anime world, and a large part of that reason is the anime’s final arc before going into hiatus. What is now one of the biggest tournament arcs in the medium, the sequel shattered records and was a historic achievement with a sequence of some of the most hype and exciting fights, which culminated in an iconic moment.
8 years ago on June 30th, fans caught a glimpse of the poster commemorating the start of the Tournament of Power in Dragon Ball Super’s Universe Survival Arc, with Episode 97 of the anime soon to follow. Organized by Zeno, the tournament involved eight universes, each selecting ten fighters to compete in a massive battle royale. Held on a neutral stage, the rules are simple: if all team members are eliminated, that universe is erased. As the clock ticks down, intense battles unfold between elite warriors from across the multiverse. The reason for the large stake tournament is effectively to cull out the less advanced universes. Everyone fights for their right to live and their chance to have anything they wish granted in an intense arc where friends and foes put aside their differences to live.
Goku and His Allies Faced Their Greatest Opponents
If there is one thing the franchise did well, it was fights, and this arc had some of the best animated fights and most emotional ones as well. Between Vegeta’s pride as a Saiyan, Goku taking down Kefla with ease, Team Universe 7’s last stand together, Frieza and Goku working together for the first time, and of course, the iconic awakening of Ultra Instinct which was a pivotal moment in the entire tournament and one of anime’s most legendary moments. The arc is filled with some incredibly hype and memorable moments, and while it does drag on in some places, the highs make up for the lows significantly.
What is amazing about this arc, though, is just how massively popular it was. It not only crashed Crunchyroll but also many of the illegal anime sites as well. It even got to the point where Toei Animation urged the government of Mexico to shut down planned watch parties that were not authorised. It was truly a time that one had to be there to understand its cultural significance, and such a fever is yet to be topped to this day. The anime has sadly been in hiatus for a while, and while there are movies being released occasionally, fans are still excitedly for the drought to end and the anime to adapt some other highly exciting storylines like the Moro Arc.
